Aerosol container dispensing attachment



5, 1969 w. M. MANNING 3,459,342

AEROSOL CONTAINER DISPENSING ATTACHMENT Filed June 5, 1968 .20 inr lNVE/VTOZ W/ABL/E M. MAMA/MM" A rraewiy United States Patent 3,459,342 AEROSOL CONTAINER DISPENSING ATTACHMENT Wilbur M. Manning, Box 1736, 1874 Mountain Drive, Kodiak, Alaska 99615 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 562,389,

July 1, 1966. This application June 5, 1968, Ser.

Int. Cl. B6541 83/00, 83/14; A22c 9/00 U.S. Cl. 222-402.13 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hollow angle body of sheet material includes a shroud leg of circular cross section having an oblique open end for receiving the end of an aerosol container and a leg projecting transversely from the shroud leg and forming a sheath for an injection tube, a guard for a hand grasping the shroud leg and a mounting for the open end of a cap covering the portion of the injection tube projecting beyond the end of the sheath. The end portion of the injection tube enclosed by the body is bent relative to the portion of such tube extending through the sheath to project into the shroud for insertion into the dispensing aperture of an aerosol container top. A plunger reciprocable lengthwise, either in a direction axially of the shroud or transversely of it, can engage the dispensing button of an aerosol container for opening its valve to dispense liquid into the injection tube.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 562,389, filed July 1, 1966, for a Dispenser for Seasoning Compositions, now abandoned.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing attachment for application to an aerosol container from which liquid or powdered seasoning or tenderizer can be dispensed for direct injection into a solid food product, such as meat. Such an attachment is easy to apply to or remove from an aerosol container.

A further object is to provide such a dispensing attachment which will have a small, sharp injection tube, like a hollow needle, which can be inserted lengthwise into a food product up to a predetermined extent and which will be carried by the attachment in .a manner such that the attachment, container and injection tube can be held easily and firmly in one hand and the injection tube can be plunged quickly and steadily into the food product.

Another object is to provide such an attachment which will protect the injection tube from being injured and from inadvertently injuring a person or an object and which will also keep the injection tube clean.

A further object is to provide a structure for such an attachment which will both automatically limit the =maximum penetration of the injection tube into a food body and, at the same time, protect such food body and the persons hand holding the attachment from contact With each other.

It is also an object to provide such a dispensing attachment which is economical to manufacture so that each attachment can be reserved for use in dispensing only a particular type of product or, indeed, such a dispensing attachment could actually be discarded when an aerosol container to which it has been applied has been emptied.

FIGURE 1 is a central section through the dispensing attachment showing it applied to a container represented in phantom. FIGURE 2 is a section through the dispensing attachment taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a central section through a dispensing attachment illustrating a different type of dispensing mechanism, parts being broken away. FIGURE 4 is a section through the dispensing attachment taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

Basically, the attachment is a hollow, sheet material body of angle shape including a shroud leg 1 and a sheath leg 2 connected by a junction portion 3. The shroud leg is of circular cross section having an interior cavity of a size sufficient to receive within it the end of an aerosol container C. The open end 4 of the shroud is oblique, leaving a short wall 5 at the side remote from the sheath to afford maximum access to the interior of the shroud, and the side 6 adjacent to the sheath 2 is of the greatest axial extent to provide a pistol grip by which a user can grasp the shroud to support and to manipulate the attachment when it has been applied to a container.

The sheath leg 2 also is preferably of circular cross section, although smaller than the shroud 1. The sheath projects axially beyond the adjacent side 6 of the shroud a distance at least as great as the thickness of the fingers of a persons hand grasping the shroud. Such sheath preferably tapers away from the shroud, at least to some extent.

The junction portion of the body preferably is of domed shape and has one portion faired into the adjacent end of the shroud leg 1 and another portion faired into the adjacent end of the sheath leg 2. Such junction portion can include a fillet 7 connecting the longest wall 6 of the shroud leg 1 with the adjacent wall of the sheath leg 2.

At the root of the sheath leg 2 is an internal partition 8 having through it an aperture 9 disposed substantially concentrically of the sheath sleeve. Through this aperture extends a fine injection tube 10 arranged concentrically of the sheath sleeve. As shown in FIGURE 1, such injection tube is long enough so that a substantial portion of its length projects beyond the end 11 of the sheath leg. The outer end 12 of such tube is oblique or otherwise sharpened so that it can pierce a food body readily.

To protect the portion of the injection tube 10 projecting beyond the end 11 of the sheath leg 2, an elongated cap 13 is provided. The open end of this cap has an internal groove 14 which can engage an external annular rib 15 on the end of the sheath 2 with a snap fit so that the cap can be mounted on or removed from the sheath end quickly.

The end portion of the injection tube 10 projecting inwardly through the aperture 9 of the partition 8 is connected, such as by a sleeve 16, to an angle injection tube section 17. One leg of this section is aligned with the injection tube 10 and the other leg extends coaxially into the shroud leg 1 of the body far enough so that it can be inserted into the dispensing aperture in the button B of the areosol container C.

A disk 18 is fitted into the root end of the shroud leg 1 through its open end and can be secured in place bearing against a ledge or shoulder 19 in the interior of the junction portion 3 of the body. This disk has in it a central hole 20 of a size large enough to pass the inner end of a plunger 21 extending inwardly through a hole 22 in the top of the junction portion 3. This plunger can be of cylindrical shape, but has in one side a deep groove 23 which will fit over the angle injection tube section 17.

The inner end of the plunger 21 will project through the aperture 20 of disk 18 far enough so that its end will abut the end of valve button B on the top of the container. The plunger has an annular groove in it at the side of the disk 18 adjacent to the shroud 1 to receive a snap ring 24 which will engage the disk to limit outward movement of the plunger after it has been installed. The spring of the aerosol container associated with the button B will close the valve of the container by pushing the button outward; and such movement will simultaneously move plunger 21 away from the container sufiiciently to enable the container valve to close.

To hold the container firmly in the shroud 1, annular ribs 25 or buttons spaced axially of the shroud a distance equal to the width of the container annular rib R are provided on the inner wall of the shroud with which such container rib can be engaged. When the shroud 1 is grasped in the hand, therefore, as in grasping a pistol, with a container snapped into place in the position shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 1, the thumb may readily be engaged with the outer end of the plunger 21. When the cap 13 has been removed from the sheath 2, the attachment and container can be moved lengthwise of the injection tube 10 toward a food body and such injection tube inserted into the body until the end 11 of the sheath is pressed against the body. Even with the attachment in this position, the fingers of the hand grasping the shroud will not come into contact with the food body because the sheath sleeve projects at least a finger thickness distance beyond the adjacent side 6 of the shroud 1.

With the dispensing attachment and aerosol container thus held, the operators thumb can be moved to press plunger 21 inward for depressing the container button B to open the valve and to dispense the flavoring or tenderizing material through the injection tube into the food product. When sufficient material has thus been dispensed, the thumb can be raised and the injection tube withdrawn from the food product. After the desired number of injections has been made, the cap 13 can be replaced on the sheath leg 2 and the attachment and container stored until it is to be used again.

In fabricating the attachment, the body can be made of sheet metal, but it is preferred to mold it of plastic material. When the parts have been constructed, the injection tube 20 can be inserted through the sheath leg 2 until its inner end has been projected through the aperture 9 in partition 8. The angle injection tube section 17 can then be inserted through the open end of the shroud 1 and the joining sleeve 16 slid onto the end of the injection tube 10. Such sleeve can be rigid or resilient, as may be preferred, and can be held in place by wall friction or by adhesive.

After the injection tube has thus been installed, the disk 18 can be inserted through the open end 4 of the shroud 1 and secured in place bearing against the shoulder 19. Such disk can be held by a press fit, by snap engagement, or by being bonded to the ledge or shoulder 19, as may be preferred. The plunger 21 can then be inserted through the aperture 22 in the junction portion 3 of the body in the proper rotative position so that the deep groove 23 will embrace the injection tube section 17. Engagement of the groove bottom with such injection tube section will limit inward movement of the plunger in a position such that the groove for receiving the snap ring 24 will be located beyond the disk 18. With the plunger in this position the snap ring 24 can then be installed in the plunger groove to prevent withdrawal of the plunger.

In the alternative form of device shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the hollow body including the shroud leg 1, the sheath leg 2 and the junction portion 3 is the same as that described with respect to FIGURE 1, except that such junction portion does not have the aperture 22 in it. Instead, in this instance, the shroud wall 6 adjacent to the sheath 2 has in it an aperture 26 which preferably is of rectangular shape. Through this aperture projects a plunger 27, the length of which extends transversely of the axis of the shroud 1 and preferably diametrally of such shroud.

The inner end 28 of such plunger is cylindrical and is received telescopically in tube 29. Such tube projects into the shroud through aperture 30 in wall opposite wall 6. Such tube has a head 31 which abuts the shroud wall to limit inward movement of the tube and which can be bonded to the body to retain such tube in place. A compression spring 32 encircles the tube 29 and plunger end 28 and has one end bearing on the inner wall of the shroud and its other end bearing on a washer 33 secured on the' plunger so that the spring urges the plunger to the right, as seen in FIGURE 2. Movement of the plunger to the right is limited by engagement of a pin 34 in the plunger engaging the inner side of shroud wall 6.

The central portion of the plunger 27 has in it a slot 35 of a width great enough to receive through it the end of injection tube section 17 and of an extent lengthwise of the plunger at least as great as the lengthwise stroke of the plunger. The lower side of the plunger between the washer 33 and the pin 34 is inclined so that the plunger tapers toward its tip. Such inclined portion is located for wedging engagement with the upper end of the dispensing button B of the container C. Consequently, when the plunger 27 is reciprocated to the left as seen in FIG- URE 3 from the position of that figure, engagement of the plunger surface 36 with the end of the button will press it inward to open the container valve so that material will be dispensed from the container through the injection tube 17, 10 in the manner described in connection with the attachment of FIGURES l and 2.

In assembling the attachment shown in FIGURE 3, the injection tube 10 and angle injection tube section 17 will be installed as described in connection with the attachment of FIGURES 1 and 2. The disk 18 will then be installed in a similar fashion so that the end of the injection tube section 17 will extend through the aperture 20' of such disk. There will be enough play of plunger 27 in aperture 26 so that the plunger can be moved from right to left through such aperture in position drooped sufficiently to clear the inwardly projecting end of injection tube angle section 17. Spring 32 can he slid over the cylindrical tip 28 of the plunger, and the plunger can then be swung toward diametral position so that the injection tube end will extend through the slot 35.

Next the pin 34 is inserted into its socket in the plunger to limit the distance which the plunger can be pressed to the right by the spring 32. With the cylindrical portion 28 of the plunger then aligned with the aperture 30, tube 29 can be inserted through such aperture between spring 32 and the plunger tip; and the head of the tube can be bonded to the wall 5 of the shroud to complete the assembly.

I claim:

1. A dispensing attachment for a container having a compressible valve button with an aperture therein for discharge of material from the container, comprising an angle-shaped body including a hollow open-ended shroud adapted to be fitted onto the upper portion of the container and an open-ended sheath projecting generally perpendicularly from said shroud for at least a fingerthickness distance beyond the adjacent side of said shroud, a stiff fine injection tube extending through said body and having one end portion connectible to such button aperture and its other end portion projecting lengthwise beyond the open end of said sheath a distance at least as great as the projection of said sheath beyond said adjacent shroud side, and valve-operating means for the valve button carried by said body and movable relative thereto for controlling the fiow of material from the container through said injection tube.

2. A dispensing attachment for a container having a compressible valve button with an aperture therein for discharge of material from the container, comprising an angle-shaped body including a hollow open-ended shroud adapted to be fitted onto the upper portion of the container and an open-ended sheath projecting generally perpendicularly from said shroud for at least a fingerthickness distance beyond the adjacent side of said shroud, a stiff fine injection tube extending through said body and having one end portion connectible to such button aperture and its other end portion projecting beyond the open 5 6 end of said sheath, and valve-operating means for the valve button including a plunger guided by the body References Cited fordrelciiprogatiori1 lerllgthwise trlagsversely 05 the axi; of UNITED STATES PATENTS sa1 5 ran sa1 p unger ll'lCU. mg a we ging sur ace K engageable with the valve button of a container on which 297L509 2/1961 Cohen 128 216 the shroud is fitted to depress such button by lengthwise 5 3 2 5 5; i

movement of said plunger toward it for opening the container valve, said plunger having an end portion project- STANLEY TOLL/BERG Primary Examiner ing beyond said shroud adjacent tosaid sheath for engagement by the first finger of a hand grasping the container 10 Us, (1 X R to move said plunger by pulling such first finger. 128-216 

